Domestic felines and similar house pets instinctively seek out a suitable location within a structure to excrete solid waste, and will typically reuse this location. Generally, felines react adversely to the odor produced by feces and urine and are prone to select locations where the waste can be buried or similarly covered. As such, most domesticated cats will reliably utilize a litter box to contain excreted waste products.
A litter box, as its name implies, is a container that is normally rigid, durable, reusable, and at least partially filled with cat litter, which includes a loose, granular material that absorbs moisture and odors. Most commonly, cat litter is formed from clay, though paper and silicon-based materials are also used. Many varieties of cat litter include selected chemicals or compounds to enhance the deodorizing or moisture-absorbing properties of the litter.
Though somewhat effective, the odor-reduction properties of a litter box are limited. To prevent the odors associated with animal waste from permeating throughout a structure, waste from a litter box must be frequently removed for disposal. However, simply moving animal waste from a litter box to a conventional indoor waste receptacle does not remove the source of odor from the structure. As such, animal waste must be carried to an outdoor receptacle for disposal. Undertakings of this nature are often tedious and inconvenient, especially for pet owners that live in condominiums, high-rises, apartment complexes, and other locations where use of the nearest outdoor waste receptacle may require traveling a significant distance while carrying odorous animal waste.
Similarly, when caring for young children and/or incontinent adults, diapers and other waste disposal products must also frequently be retained indoors until a time when disposal external to a structure is convenient. Likewise, canines and similar pets, when retained indoors, can be trained to utilize disposable pads or similar absorbent products, which must often be retained indoors prior to disposal outside of the structure. Additionally, when keeping canines and similar outdoor pets, or when walking or otherwise traveling with a pet, the odorous waste from such animals must often be contained for aesthetic, environmental, and/or legal reasons, until disposal in a suitable receptacle is possible.
A need exists for a container and method for storing animal and/or human waste, as well as clumped cat litter, soiled pet products, diapers, and similar objects, and controlling the associated odor, thereby enabling storage and/or transport of the waste prior to disposal, while preventing the exodus of odor from the container.
A need also exists for generally inexpensive, disposable containers that can control odor through vapor impermeability, a closable top, and an internal filtering and/or deodorizing member.
A further need exists for a container and method for storing waste and controlling associated odors that is compact, easily transportable and stored, and readily accessible to a user.
The present invention meets these needs.
The depicted embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the listed Figures.